· A NOVEL INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS  · 

Walking Upright

Walking Upright  is the first book in the trilogy that bears its name. It tells the story of Gichin Funakoshi, the master who brought Tōde from Okinawa to Japan and helped transform it into Karate-Dō.


Through his life, the book opens the path for the rest of the trilogy, exploring the spirit of Budō: discipline, humility, respect, and character.


For Gichin Funakoshi, Karate was not merely a technique, but a way of walking upright through life.

Walking Upright

Discover Walking Upright in your language. Select one of the available editions and begin reading the opening chapters of this historical novel, inspired by the life of Gichin Funakoshi, directly on the website. You can also download a free PDF sample and continue reading whenever you like. Choose your language, discover the story, and begin the journey.

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Step into the extraordinary story of Gichin Funakoshi and discover how Karate-Dō began its journey from Okinawa to mainland Japan.


Walking Upright is a historical novel that brings to life the man behind one of the world’s most influential martial arts traditions. Through personal struggles, cultural change, and a lifelong search for purpose, the novel reveals the human story behind the birth of modern karate.


Download the free preview, read the opening chapters, and begin the journey

Walking Upright Book 1

EXAMPLE IN ENGLISH

A NOVEL INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS  ·  PUBLISHED

Walking Upright

Karate-Dō · The story of Gichin Funakoshi

A fictional novel inspired by real events. Not a manual of techniques but an essay in lived ethics: how the Okinawan path of karate-dō became a discipline for the body, the mind, and the way we move through the world. A meditation on lineage, dignity and the quiet decision to walk upright.


Walking Upright Trilogy - Book 1.

Milton Chanes — Author’s Blog

Karate-dō Kyōhan

By Milton Chanes • July 10, 2026
Karate-dō Kyōhan (1935) From the Lost 1922 Book to the Foundation of Modern Karate-Dō
Karate-Dō Kyōhan

Kosugi Hōan’s Tiger: Born in 1922 or 1935?

By Milton Chanes • July 10, 2026
The most widely accepted version among karate practitioners today connects the famous tiger with Karate-Dō Kyōhan, published in 1935. There are good reasons for this association, and Japanese institutional sources explicitly connect Kosugi with a tiger design for that later work.
Kosugi Hoan (1881–1964) and the Shotokan Tiger: The Artist Behind Funakoshi’s First Karat

Kosugi Hoan (1881–1964)

By Milton Chanes • July 9, 2026
Discover Walking Upright, Milton Chanes’ historical novel inspired by Gichin Funakoshi and the transformation of Tōde into modern Karate-Dō.
Bushi tells the story of Matsumura Sōkon, a legendary Okinawan master

Bushi. The guardian of Shuri

By Milton Chanes • July 8, 2026
Bushi tells the story of Matsumura Sōkon, a legendary Okinawan master whose life, discipline, and warrior spirit helped preserve the roots of what would later become Karate-Dō.

A NOVEL INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS  ·  PUBLISHED

Bushi. The guardian of Shuri

From Tōde to Karate-Dō · The story of Sōkon Matsumura

This book is a work of historical fiction inspired by the life of Sokon “Bushi” Matsumura, one of the most influential figures in Okinawan martial history. Before karate had its modern name, Matsumura served the Ryūkyū Kingdom as a warrior, royal bodyguard, and strategist trained in Okinawa and China. Through students such as Ankō Asato and Ankō Itosu, Matsumura’s legacy ultimately reached Gichin Funakoshi, who introduced karate to the world.


Walking Upright Trilogy - Book 2

YEAR

2026


PAGES

+570


FORMATS

3


LANGUAGES

3


  AVAILABLE IN

A NOVEL INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS  ·  SEPTEMBER 2026

Waka-sensei. The prince who never reigned

From Tōde to Karate-Dō · The story of Sōkon Matsumura

This book is a work of historical fiction inspired by the life of Sokon “Bushi” Matsumura, one of the most influential figures in Okinawan martial history. Before karate had its modern name, Matsumura served the Ryūkyū Kingdom as a warrior, royal bodyguard, and strategist trained in Okinawa and China. Through students such as Ankō Asato and Ankō Itosu, Matsumura’s legacy ultimately reached Gichin Funakoshi, who introduced karate to the world.


Walking Upright Trilogy - Book 3

YEAR

2026


PAGES

+570


FORMATS

3


LANGUAGES

3


  AVAILABLE IN

A HISTORICAL ESSAY  ·  AUGUST 2026

The path of Karate-Dō

From Tōde to Karate-Dō · The history behind the fiction

The Path of Karate-Dō is a historical essay that explores the origins and evolution of karate through the lives of the masters who shaped it. Drawing on historical sources, memoirs, and martial traditions, it traces the path from the warriors of the Ryūkyū Kingdom to the emergence of modern karate. Written as a companion to the Walking Upright trilogy, it reveals the history, people, and sources behind the stories.


A companion volume to the Walking Upright Trilogy

YEAR

2026


PAGES

+570


FORMATS

3


LANGUAGES

3


  AVAILABLE IN